The Neuro-Oncology Branch Laboratory of translational science is divided into three major areas: Project 3: The potential therapeutic role of Glycogen Synthase kinase-3b (GSK3-b) inhibition with resultant increases in b-catenin activity in controlling glioma-mediated angiogenesis and glioma cell proliferation: Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) is a serine/threonine kinase found in all eukaryotic organisms and is involved in multiple cellular functions ranging from cellular metabolism to cell cycle regulation. We have demonstrated that multiple small molecular inhibitors of GSK3 activity and genetic downregulation of GSK3&#945;/&#946; significantly inhibit glioma cell survival. Among the small molecules used, LY317615 was developed by Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals as an ATP-competitive inhibitor of PKC-beta (PKC-b) to inhibit VEGF-stimulated endothelial proliferation and applied in preclinical tumor models where it demonstrated significant anti-angiogenic activity. Given that other PKC isoenzymes have been shown to contribute to tumor cell survival and proliferation, we sought to investigate whether Enzastaurin could exert anti-proliferation activity on glioma cells directly by inhibiting PKC-b activity. We found that LY317615 exerts potent anti-proliferation activity on glioma cell lines at pharmacologically achievable concentrations (IC50 of 10mM). We sought to determine the anti-proliferative mechanism of LY317615 on glioma cells. Cell Cycle analysis preformed by BrdU/PI staining of LY317615-treated U251 revealed a drug-induced G2/M arrest and apoptosis as early as 24hr after treatment. To elucidate mechanisms responsible for the antiglioma effects of LY317615, we performed gene expression profiling in hopes of identifying potential downstream effectors of PKC-b inhibition. Striking, were alterations among components of the Wnt pathway within the nearly 1400 mRNA transcripts significantly altered following glioma cell exposure to LY317615. The strongest up-regulated gene (more than 40-fold) was axin 2 mRNA, a known component of the Wnt negative feedback loop. In addition to axin 2, we found highly significant changes in expression of at least 20 genes, such as CyclinD1, that are known to be the targets of b-catenin, the down-stream effector of the Wnt pathway. Further investigation of this pathway by both pharmacological and genetic means have suggested that activation of Wnt pathway in glioma cell lines leads to cell death. Specifically, we have demonstrated that the potency of the cytotoxic effects is directly correlated with decreased enzyme activity-activating phosphorylation of GSK3 &#945;/&#946; Y276/Y216 and with increased enzyme activity-inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK3&#945; S21. Inhibition of GSK3 activity results in a cytotoxicity-dependent increase in c-MYC activity thereby inducing expression of Bim, bax and DR4/DR5. Down-regulation of GSK3 activity also leads to a drop in FLIP protein and up-regulation of TRAIL. In addition to up-regulation of components of the TRAIL-associated extrinsic apoptotic pathway, downregulation of GSK3 activity results in alteration of intracellular glucose metabolism resulting in dissociation of hexokinase (HK) II from outer mitochondrial membrane with subsequent mitochondrial destabilization. Finally, inhibition of GSK3 activity causes a dramatic decrease in intracellular nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-&#954;B) activity. Thus, inhibition of GSK3 activity results in c-MYC dependent glioma cell death through multiple mechanisms all of which converge on the apoptotic pathways. These data support the hypothesis that GSK3 may be important therapeutic target for gliomas. Based on the promising preclinical data, we initiated a clinical trial of LY317615 in patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas. Stem Cell Factor (SCF) as an important new glioma produced and neuronally induced angiogenic factor in high-grade gliomas. SCF expression has been demonstrated in the past in a number of glioma cell lines although its significance remains unclear since SCF does not appear to have any direct effects on glioma cells in vitro. Under normal conditions, little or no SCF expression is detectable in normal cerebrum, however we found it to be expressed at high levels both in glioma cells lines and in gliomas when compared to non-tumor brain. Additionally, there was a statistically significant higher level of SCF expression in high-grade gliomas compared to low-grade gliomas. Since high-grade gliomas are characterized by a much greater amount of tumor-associated angiogenesis compared to low-grade gliomas, the positive correlation of SCF expression with increasing glioma grade is consistent with a potential role for SCF in glioma-associated angiogenesis. We have demonstrated that the SCF receptor, c-Kit, is expressed on the surface of all endothelial cells (ECs) examined and that exposure of BMVEC-b, HUVEC and HMVEC-d in basal medium to SCF resulted in thymidine incorporation and cellular proliferation in all 3 EC lines in a dose-dependent manner even at low concentrations in the absence of other cytokines such as VEGF. SCF also induced EC migration and differentiation in an in vitro wound healing assay and capillary tube formation assay. These data demonstrated the ability of SCF to induce proliferation, migration and differentiation of BMVEC-b in vitro. We next subcutaneously implanted Matrigel impregnated with SCF, b-FGF (positive control) or vehicle alone into the adult SCID mice. The data obtained demonstrated that SCF can promote angiogenesis in vivo. By a similar technology we also demonstrated that suppression of SCF in glioma cells results in significant inhibition of glioma-induced angiogenesis in vivo. We next evaluated whether suppression of SCF would effect the survival of animals with intracranial gliomas. U373/as-SCF or U373/vector cells were stereotactically implanted to the cerebral subcortex of adult athymic nu/nu mice. Log-rank analysis of the Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated a significant survival advantage for the U373/as-SCF bearing mice compared to the U373/vector control bearing animals (P<0.05), despite the fact that the growth rate of both cells types in vitro was identical. To confirm these results in actual tumor samples, immunohistochemical analysis of multiple surgical specimens from patients with glioblastoma revealed profound expression of SCF in cerebral cortex infiltrated by glioma cells secondary to both tumor-and neuronal-associated SCF expression. In summary, SCF expression appears to reside most prominently in the invasive front of the infiltrating glioma, suggesting its roles in the tumor progression. Given our data demonstrating the importance of SCF in tumor and host cell-induced angiogenesis, we hypothesize that a previously unrecognized, but major anti-tumor mechanism of Gleevec may be as an anti-angiogenic agent through its ability to potently inhibit c-kit signaling. We have therefore embarked on a series of in vivo experiments to look at the effects of Gleevec on glioma-mediated angiogenesis in our orthotopic glioma models. Thus, we will embark on a series of preclinical studies evaluating the combination of Gleevec with specific VEGF inhibitors (LY317615, Avastin, etc.). The poor penetration of Gleevec through an intact blood-brain barrier, however, will also force us to screen oth [summary truncated at 7800 characters]